The old days were great, Springfield hockey fans, but it's time to join the present

The Republican staff photo by David MolnarCharlie Pompea, left, the new owner of the Falcons and Bruce Landon, the team's president and general manager, are determined to uphold a long, proud hockey tradition in Springfield.

I saw you visited our city over the weekend. I trust your stay went well.

You're a busy man, Mr. Pompea, so I will get to the point. A lot of people are filling your ear about how great it was in the old days here.

It was. But on most nights, when the Falcons don't draw the 6,232 they drew Saturday, your best friends are the young folks.

When I go to games, I see families, kids, youth groups and teens. I see more first dates than 40th anniversary parties.

We, the sizeable and rather opinionated Good-Ole-Days crowd of Springfield hockey, need to stop supporting Eddie Shore's team with our words, but yours with our presence.

We need to show up, not talk about how great it was when we did show up.

I am 55. I saw Bruce Landon play goal in Springfield.

How many people have already told you that? About 50,000?

Landon never lost his connection with Springfield hockey. A lot of us did, though.

You met with the local Hockey Heritage Society, a grand group of guys who savor the past. They are your allies, but with this franchise, the past is not only your best friend but at times, your enemy.

It becomes your enemy when too many of us spend too much time, wistfully recalling those good old Coliseum days.

I read you are playing "The Bird's the Word,'' at games now. Great Sixties song. Was it the Rivingtons song, or the more familiar Trashmen version?

But there I go, goin' Old Days on you. I love the song.

I hope your fans, many under the age of 25, feel the same way.

Many in the 50-70 generation are on fixed income, got bashed in the 2008 economic crisis or have trouble getting around. There are reasons we stopped showing up - busy lives, bad teams, bad NHL affiliations, worries about downtown that are not, in my opinion, reason enough to stay away.

But we all got old and we started sitting around, talking about Eddie Shore's teams. The franchise was held up by youth groups, the schools and families who wanted a night out.

The rest of us can tell you all about Jimmy Anderson, Brian Kilrea and Butch Goring. We need to start pulling for .. well, whoever the Blue Jackets have here these days.

The old days were great because we were young. Wasn't everything better when we were young?

You are 61. You understand.

But as a successful businessman, you also live in the present. We, the older fans, need to stop living in the past.

We need to embellish our warm memories by creating new ones. We need to show up again and start enjoying hockey, not just memories of hockey.